The hardest task of life may be to become entirely ourselves — to continually purify and clarify who and what we are, shedding the shoulds of culture, convention, and expectation to discover the innermost musts: those deepest and truest callings of the authentic self, or what we might call soul. And yet, to me, the paradox is that the self is not a fixity but a perpetual fluidity, reshaped by every experience we have: every love and every loss, every person we meet, every place we visit, and every book we read.
I took this quote from a recent newsletter/ post by Maria Popova, author of The Marginalian. She goes onto to quote Virginia Woolf - “A self that goes on changing is a self that goes on living” and now to me, here is a paradox. This time of year we are encouraged to both reflect - what has been good, what have I achieved, what have beden the highlights - and also to plan - what am I going to make, what are my goals, why next year will be the best…yada, yada, yada. And as artists, we are told to find our niche, focus on our voice, dig deep and yet…I need (indeed - must) avoid the allure of fleeting trends and thus find a delicate balance, a dance between authenticity and innovation.
Further Reading: https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/12/17/exercise-writing/
And thus, I need to remember, my voice as an artist isn't merely found; it evolves, shaped by experiences, emotions, and a steadfast commitment to my artistic integrity.
Yeah, big words…which again, brings me back what Popova writes further in her article - reviewing the book Sweat — by Bill Hayes, a magnificent history of exercise as a lens on the body and the soul — where he offers an antidote to stagnation rooted in the parallels between creative practice and athletic training.
Drawing an analogy between the science of exercise and his own art — writing — he considers the principles that sustain, for him, long-term personal fitness.
One is The Principle of Specificity, the idea that “what you train for is what you get” and “Be specific in your work goals as much as in your workouts,” Hayes writes. This is where my planning comes to the forefront - while sometimes I work into the spirit, lettting my art evolve as I create - it is also important to have a plan - size, medium, scale, palette and then go forward into the work.
The Principle of Progression demands (strong word - I prefer encourage ?) that you move on as soon as you have mastered a new task. Georgia O’Keeffe knew this. “Making your unknown known is the important thing,” she wrote in her advice on being an artist, “and keeping the unknown always beyond you.”
Without challenge, the body — or the spirit — settles into stagnation or, worse, complacency. David Bowie urged against this reflex toward comfort and homeostasis: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in,” he advised artists. “Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” This is what Bill Hayes calls the Progression Principle. I wrote about this in my blog post https://www.susanpm.com/2022/12/11/when-my-feet-are…ching-the-bottom/ and it still resonates with me! In fact, it may become what I place in front of me for 2024 - to go where my feet aren’t quite touching the bottom - that is the right place.
And finally, there is the Principle of Rest - after the challenges of overexertion, overstress, deadlines and burnout, there is the time of recovery - to replenish the body’s energy and the soul’s store of creative vitality.
And all of this, I hold before me as I journey into another year of creativity.....
Dear Susan, your blog today was very meaningful and so enlightening. Yesterday I finished updating my own “Studio Action Plan” for 2024…with goals, tasks, things to be mindful of. But the idea of going just beyond where you feel comfortable is a goal that I should probably go back and work into the document! I also loved the idea of the self being fluid, not fixed…that each event/person/book we encounter changes that “self” a little bit. And not to fret about the change…in fact to embrace it. And last but not least, the goal of finding a good balance between work and rest…always a tricky endeavor. 2023 was the year I enjoyed a residency with you and I am still reaping the benefits of what I learned in it. Many thanks, and wishing you a happily creative 2024!
Marya, I think that being able to “embrace” change, when we are able, builds resilience too. Thank you for the comments.
The top three remind me of open heart surgery. Odd that I still like two of them and not the green one. Likes are so fickle.